Toy walker



Sept. 2 1924. 1,507,512

J. PERRETT TOY WALKER Filed Feb., 1, 1924 ,INVENTOR A TTORNE YS PatentedSept. 2, 1924.

JOHN PERRETT, OF YORK, Y.

TOY WALKER.

T0 CLZZi'tUhOHZ it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PERRE'l-T, a citizen of the United States, anda residentof the city of New York,- borough of Manhattan, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Toy alker, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a toy walker for children, An object of theinvention is to provide a simple, economical and efficient devicewhereby a child can seat himself on the device and by manipulating it,travel rapidly and easily from point to point.

Another object concerns the provision of means whereby the movement fromplace to place is effected ina very simple manner, affordingconsiderable amusement to the child and requiring him to develop adegree of skill in the operation of the toy and in balancing himselfthereon which is of considerable benefit to him. I I

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of which- I i j 1 Figure lis a perspective view of the device with a child seated thereon;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device.

The form of the invention shown in the drawings is a preferred form,although it is understood that modifications in the construction andarrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used maybe adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

The general conception of the device comprises a frame, which includes acurved runner which extends over considerable of the arc of a circle,connected to a seat plate or seat-supporting portion by suitable rigidconnecting members. On this frame is mounted a pivoted seat, and to itis also fastened a handle which the child grips in both hands. Inseating himself upon the frame, the child grasps the handle and holdshimself upright on the seat with his feet on the ground beneath him. Hisfirst operation is to slightly relieve the device of his weight while hepulls the handle closely toward him, thus drawing the rear portion ofthe runner as nearly directly under him as possible. Then he allows hisweight to fall on the seat and, removing his feet ever so slightly fromthe ground, to bends forward against the handle, whereby the device isrocked forward on the runner, meanwhile the seat maintains itshorizontal relationbecauseit is: pivoted and can move with respectto theframe. In rocking forward, the forward end of the runner comes beneaththe v childs feet, and this rocking motion causes a progressionalong-thefioor.

Then the forward end of the runner is disposed beneath: t'he child, hisfeet are placed on the ground, his weight is slightly lifted from theseat and the handle is pulled toward him again, whereupon heresnmes hisseat on the frame and repeats the operation.

This operation is quickly appreciated by the child, whereby he cantravel rather rapidly from point to point. The factthat there is onlyone runner reqn'ires him to maintain a certain degree of bal ance','which is of considerable benefit tohim. The

rapidity with which a child can travel by using this device has beenfound to be quite Of course, the larger the childastonishing.operating-the device, the. longer therunner can be made and,consequently, the more ground can be traveled in time.

As shown in 'the drawingspwhich represent the preferred form, the devicecomprises a runner 1 curved preferably in the arc of-a circleapproximately 120. This runner is connected by means of rigid members 2and 2 3 and 3 and 4 and 4* at difa given space of ferent pointsthroughout its length, with a pivoted permits it to be kept as far aspos si-' ble in the horizontal position regardless of I the relation ofthe frame with respect to the child. I

Assuming that the child is seated on the seat 6 and has drawn the handle7 as closely as possible to his body while supporting his weight on hisfeet slightly off the seat 6, then the connecting members 4 and P willassume a substantially vertical position beneath him. i As soon as thisposition is eifected, he allows his weight to rest on the seat 6 andthrows himself forward against the handle 7 Whichcauses the frame torock or roll forward until the connecting members 2 and 2 are disposedsubstantially vertically beneath the seat, which has throughout thisrocking motion been maintained in a substantially horizontal position.Then this disposition of the parts is achieved, the child. places hisfeet on the ground and lifts his weight off the seat 6 and at the sametime pulls the handle 7 forward toward himself, thus bringing theconnecting members 4 and P again beneath him, whereupon the operation isrepeated. The rapidity of the performance of this cycle of operationsgoverns the speed at which the child can travel from point to point.

This device has been found to be a source of amusement for children andrequires of them a sufiicient degree of skill in its operation and inbalancing themselves upon it to be of considerable benefit to them.

Of course, it is understood that the same principle of operation couldbe applied to a frame in which there was more than one runner exceptingthat in this construction it is not thought necessary to show the degreeof balance required, which is negligible.

lVhat I claim is 1. A toy walking device which comprises a frame havinga curved runner portiontached thereto, said seat adapted to bemaintained in a substantially horizontal position by a person seatedthereon independent of the movement of the frame with respect to theground and the body of the person as it may be moved by said person intraveling over the ground.

2. A toy walking device which includes a frame comprising a curvedrunner adapted to bear on and to be rolled over the ground, a pluralityof rigid members extending from points throughout the length of saidrunner to a common point, a seat-supporting plate to which saidconnecting members are attached, a pivoted seat on said plate, and ahandle portion connected to said frame and having an end extendingtherefrom adjacent the seat to be grasped by the hand of the operator.

A toy walking device which includes a frame comprising a curved runneradapted to bear on and to be rolled over the ground, a plurality ofrigid members extending from points throughout the length of said runnerto a common point, a seat-supporting plate to which said connectingmembers are attached, a pivoted seat on said plate, and a handleportionconnected to said frame and having an end extending therefrom adjacentthe seat tobe grasped by the hand of the operator, said seat adapted tobe maintained in a horizontal position by a person seated thereonindependent of the movement of the frame by the person seated.

JOHN PERRETT.

